Ricardo G. Marenchino

Heart Transplantation in Patients ≥60 Years: Importance of Relative Pulmonary Hypertension and Right Ventricular Failure on Midterm Survival

OBJECTIVES To determine the impact of recipient age and perioperative risk factors on midterm survival after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). The authors hypothesized that perioperative variables are more important as predictors of mortality than is a recipients age. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary care university hospital. PARTICIPANTS The study comprised 126 consecutive adults who underwent OHT. INTERVENTIONS After Institutional Review Board approval, the authors analyzed 126 consecutive adult patients who underwent OHT between January 2009 and December 2015 and followed-up with them up until June 2016. Patients were divided into the following 2 groups according to the recipients age at the time of transplantation: older group (≥60 y old) and younger group (18 to 59 y). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Actuarial survival rates for all patients were 88.1%, 78.6%, and 72.2% at 30 days, 1 year, and after a median follow-up of 18.9 months (midterm survival) (1st quartile: 8.1; 3rd quartile: 37.4), respectively. In the unadjusted analysis, the older group demonstrated a significant increase in 1-year mortality (p = 0.005) and a trend toward worse midterm mortality (p = 0.087). Multivariable analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Independent risk factors related to midterm mortality after OHT were as follows: preoperative relative pulmonary hypertension using the mean arterial-to-mean pulmonary artery pressure ratio ≤3 (hazard ratio [HR] 5.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.64-17.74, p = 0.006); cardiopulmonary bypass duration (per each 10-min increment) (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.22, p < 0.001); and postoperative right ventricular dysfunction (HR 3.50, 95% CI 1.52-8.05, p = 0.003). Neither recipients ≥60 years old (HR 2.15, 95% CI 0.98-4.67, p = 0.054) nor donor/recipient body surface area ratio (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.98-1.04, p = 0.463) was an independent risk factor for midterm mortality. CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing heart transplantation, survival was related more to preoperative relative pulmonary hypertension, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, and postoperative right ventricular failure than to recipient age. Older patients should be selected for OHT carefully, taking into consideration preoperative factors other than age.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as predictors of survival after heart transplantation: NLR and PLR after heart transplantation

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) predict outcome in heart failure (HF) patients undergoing heart transplantation (HTX).

Assessment of fractional excretion of urea for early diagnosis of cardiac surgery associated acute kidney injury

Abstract Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery (CS). Recently, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was shown to predict AKI development earlier than serum creatinine, but it is not widely used in clinical practice. Fractional excretion of urea (FeU) has been referred to as a useful tool to discriminate between prerenal and established AKI. The aim of our study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of FeU, in the early diagnosis of AKI in patients undergoing CS. Methods: We performed a prospective study on adults undergoing CS. AKI was defined by AKIN criteria. Individuals suffering from CKD, were excluded. Sensitivity and specificity of FeU, fractional excretion of sodium (FeNa) and urine NGAL, measured at 1, 6 and 24 h following CS, were assessed. Results: We included 66 patients (26% female) aging 68 ± 11 years. AKI prevalence was 24% and mortality was 3.28%. Patients with AKI had a significantly lower FeU compared to those without AKI (23.89 ± 0.67% vs. 34.22 ± 0.58%; p < 0.05) 6 h after CS, but not at the 1- and 24-h time points. NGAL was also statistically significant between both groups. FeU showed a 75% sensitivity and 79.5% specificity; the AUC was 0.786. ROC analysis of FeU and NGAL yielded similar values (p = NS). Conclusion: FeU is useful as an early biomarker to predict AKI after CS and it is comparable to the new biomarker NGAL.

Anesthetic and Perioperative Considerations for Combined Heart-Kidney Transplantation ☆ ☆☆

OBJECTIVE To describe detailed perioperative features of combined heart and kidney transplant (HKT). DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary care university hospital. PARTICIPANTS All consecutive HKT recipients aged 18 years and older. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS After approval of the Institutional Review Board, the authors studied all consecutive adult patients who underwent HKT between January 2013 and July 2016. Recipient and donors demographic data, hemodynamic profile, and perioperative data were analyzed. Actuarial survival rate was 57% and 43% for in-hospital and after a mean follow-up of 135 (266) days, respectively. Among patients who required postoperative hemodialysis (n = 4), 75% (n = 3) died during hospital stay. In unadjusted analysis, patients who died had a lower postoperative cardiac index (5.4 [2.7] v 3.2 [1] L/min/m2; p = 0.034) and central venous pressure (11 [5] v 8.5 [3] mmHg; p = 0.032). All patients underwent a nonstaged surgery. When compared with preoperative hemodynamic variables, early postoperative values showed decreased systemic vascular resistance (1,333 [433] dyn/s/cm-5v 595 [176] dyn/s/cm-5; p = 0.028) and higher cardiac output (4.3 [1.4] L/min v 6.7 [3] L/min; p = 0.018). Median hospital stay was 63 (44) days. CONCLUSIONS Anesthesiologists should be actively involved in perioperative strategies on how to manage these critical patients with severe cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities applying their expertise to HKT procedure.

New-Onset Liver Failure: Pitfalls of an Unusual Diagnosis

Introduction: Heart failure is the second most common cause of ascites after cirrhosis. There are cardiac and noncardiac etiologies of ascites, and the multimodality imaging approach is a rich tool to redefine the final diagnosis. Case Presentation: We present a case-series where 3 patients were referred to our hospital for further hepatology assessment due to severe abdominal ascites and liver failure. Constrictive pericarditis was diagnosed in all of them. Nowadays, constrictive pericarditis is a well-known disease, but sometimes its clinical presentation may delay the treatment and worsen the prognosis. Our 3 cases had similar clinical scenarios and hemodynamic patterns when undergoing right-heart catheterization, but they had different anatomical pericardium-compromise, requiring different surgical strategies. Conclusions: Nowadays, multimodality imaging, especially cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac computed tomography, allows us to study a wide spectrum of the same disease in terms of anatomical compromise and cardiac physiology in order to stratify different prognosis and treatment options. We describe 3 unusual clinical cases where the initial differential diagnosis denoted noncardiac etiologies. The level of serum NT-proBNP proved pivotal to the redefinition of the clinical scenario and differentiation between the cardiac and noncardiac etiologies of new-onset ascites. A multidisciplinary approach in this setting between internists, hepatologists, and cardiologists was helpful to establish the final diagnosis in all the patients.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, All Phenotypes in one

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an intrinsic myocardial disorder characterized by cardiac hypertrophy (wall thickness ≥ 15 mm), that is not explained by conditions of pressure overload (eg, hypertension, severe aortic stenosis).1 HCM is the most common genetic primary cardiomyopathy, with a prevalence estimated to be about one in 500 adults in the general population.2 More than 450 mutations have been identified in the 20 genes that cause different phenotypes. In most cases, HCM is associated with sarcomere protein gene mutations, and exhibits multiple phenotypic expressions. We present a case that combines all phenotypes.3

Old Solutions for New Troubles in Complications after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair

Background  The authors present two cases with type B aortic dissection initially treated by endovascular stent graft who developed aortic complications posttreatment and required surgical treatment. Case Description  A 50-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man underwent endovascular treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysm associated with type B dissection and —both of them evolved with endoleak type 1. The first case was related to aortobronchial fistula, and the second one was associated with ascending aortic aneurysm. An extra-anatomical ascending aorta-supraceliac aorta bypass grafting was decided due to the persistent leak. Conclusion  Surgery is an excellent choice for complex complications after thoracic endovascular aortic repair with previous failed attempts of endovascular resolution.

Aortic Annulus Enlargement vs. Conventional Surgery in Patients with Small Aortic Annulus Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement

Background: The goal of aortic valve replacement for severe stenosis is to relieve symptoms and prevent the mortality associated with the disease. Appropriate prosthetic valve size must be selected for each patient according to body surface area to avoid patientprosthesis mismatch. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate transvalvular gradient reduction at one-year follow-up in patients with small aortic annulus undergoing valve replacement with annular enlargement vs. conventional replacement surgery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed including patients with small aortic annulus undergoing valve replacement from January 2011 to December 2015. Two groups were selected: Group AAE consisting of patients in whom aortic annular enlargement was necessary and Group RVA19 involving patients in whom a #19 mm prosthetic valve was conventionally implanted. Results: Postoperative gradients (within the first 3 months and at one year) were significantly lower in the group with aortic annular enlargement. Median cardiopulmonary bypass time increased 14 minutes in Group AAE. Bioprostheses were used in most cases. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between the groups. Conclusions: Aortic annular enlargement improves postoperative, short-term and at one year follow-up transvalvular gradients.